Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2800
Then the year 145 AH began
ذِكْرُ بِنَاءِ مَدِينَةِ بَغْدَاذَ فِيهَا ابْتَدَأَ الْمَنْصُورُ فِي بِنَاءِ مَدِينَةِ بَغْدَاذَ. وَسَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَدِ ابْتَنَى الْهَاشِمِيَّةَ بِنَوَاحِي الْكُوفَةِ، فَلَمَّا ثَارَتِ الرَّاوِنْدِيَّةُ فِيهَا كَرِهَ سُكَّانَهَا لِذَلِكَ وَلِجِوَارِ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ أَيْضًا، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يَأْمَنُ أَهْلَهَا عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَكَانُوا قَدْ أَفْسَدُوا جُنْدَهُ. فَخَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ يَرْتَادُ لَهُ مَوْضِعًا يَسْكُنُهُ هُوَ وَجُنْدُهُ، فَانْحَدَرَ إِلَى جَرْجَرَايَا، ثُمَّ أَصْعَدَ إِلَى الْمَوْصِلِ، وَسَارَ نَحْوَ الْجَبَلِ فِي طَلَبِ مَنْزِلٍ يُبْنَى بِهِ. وَكَانَ قَدْ تَخَلَّفَ بَعْضُ جُنْدِهِ بِالْمَدَائِنِ لِرَمَدٍ لَحِقَهُ، فَسَأَلَهُ الطَّبِيبُ الَّذِي يُعَالِجُهُ عَنْ سَبَبِ حَرَكَةِ الْمَنْصُورِ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّا نَجِدُ فِي كِتَابٍ عِنْدَنَا أَنَّ رَجُلًا يُدْعَى مِقْلَاصًا يَبْنِي مَدِينَةً بَيْنَ دِجْلَةَ وَالصَّرَاةِ تُدْعَى الزَّوْرَاءَ، فَإِذَا أَسَّسَهَا وَبَنَى بَعْضَهَا أَتَاهُ فَتْقٌ مِنَ الْحِجَازِ، فَقَطَعَ بِنَاءَهَا وَأَصْلَحَ ذَلِكَ الْفَتْقَ، ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ فَتْقٌ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ أَعْظَمُ مِنْهُ فَلَا يَلْبَثُ الْفَتْقَانِ أَنْ يَلْتَئِمَا، ثُمَّ يَعُودَ إِلَى بِنَائِهَا فَيُتِمَّهُ، ثُمَّ يُعَمَّرُ عُمُرًا طَوِيلًا، وَيَبْقَى الْمُلْكُ فِي عَقِبِهِ. فَقَدِمَ ذَلِكَ الْجُنْدِيُّ إِلَى عَسْكَرِ الْمَنْصُورِ وَهُوَ بِنَوَاحِي الْجَبَلِ فَأَخْبَرَهُ الْخَبَرَ، فَرَجَعَ وَقَالَ: إِنِّي أَنَا وَاللَّهِ كُنْتُ أُدْعَى مِقْلَاصًا وَأَنَا صَبِيٌّ ثُمَّ زَالَ عَنِّي، وَصَارَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ الدَّيْرَ الَّذِي حِذَاءَ قَصْرِهِ الْمَعْرُوفِ بِالْخُلْدِ، وَدَعَا بِصَاحِبِ الدَّيْرِ وَبِالْبِطْرِيقِ صَاحِبِ رَحَا الْبِطْرِيقِ، وَصَاحِبِ بَغْدَاذَ، وَصَاحِبِ الْمُخَرِّمِ، وَصَاحِبِ بُسْتَانِ النَّفْسِ، وَصَاحِبِ الْعَتِيقَةِ فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِمْ، وَكَيْفَ هِيَ فِي الْحَرِّ وَالْبَرْدِ وَالْأَمْطَارِ وَالْوُحُولِ وَالْبَقِّ وَالْهَوَامِّ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمْ بِمَا عِنْدَهُ، وَوَقَعَ اخْتِيَارُهُمْ عَلَى صَاحِبِ بَغْدَاذَ، فَأَحْضَرَهُ وَشَاوَرَهُ. فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ هَذِهِ الْأَمْكِنَةِ وَمَا تَخْتَارُ مِنْهَا، وَإِنِّي أَرَى أَنْ تُنْزِلَ أَرْبَعَةَ طَسَاسِيجَ فِي الْجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ طَسُّوجَيْنِ، وَهُمَا بِقُطْرُبُّلَ وَبَادُورَيَا، وَفِي الْجَانِبِ الشَّرْقِيِّ طَسُّوجَيْنِ وَهُمَا نَهْرُ بُوقٍ وَكَلْوَاذَى، فَيَكُونَ بَيْنَ نَخْلٍ وَقُرْبَ الْمَاءِ، وَإِنْ أَجْدَبَ طَسُّوجٌ وَتَأَخَّرَتْ عِمَارَتُهُ كَانَ فِي الطَّسُّوجِ الْآخَرِ الْعِمَارَاتُ. وَأَنْتَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الصَّرَاةِ، ( تَجِيئُكَ الْمِيرَةُ فِي السُّفُنِ مِنَ الشَّامِ وَالرَّقَّةِ، وَالْغَرْبِ فِي طَوَائِفِ مِصْرَ، وَتَجِيئُكَ الْمِيرَةُ مِنَ الصِّينِ، وَالْهِنْدِ، وَالْبَصْرَةِ، وَوَاسِطَ، وَدِيَارِ بَكْرٍ، وَالرُّومِ، وَالْمَوْصِلِ، وَغَيْرِهَا فِي دِجْلَةَ، وَتَجِيئُكَ الْمِيرَةُ مِنْ إِرْمِينِيَّةَ وَمَا اتَّصَلَ بِهَا فِي تَامَرَّا حَتَّى يَتَّصِلَ بِالزَّابِ، فَأَنْتَ بَيْنَ أَنْهَارٍ لَا يَصِلُ إِلَيْكَ عَدُوُّكَ إِلَّا عَلَى جِسْرٍ أَوْ قَنْطَرَةٍ، فَإِذَا قَطَعْتَ الْجِسْرَ، وَأَخْرَبْتَ الْقَنْطَرَةَ لَمْ يَصِلْ إِلَيْكَ، وَدِجْلَةُ وَالْفُرَاتُ وَالصَّرَاةُ خَنَادِقُ هَذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَأَنْتَ مُتَوَسِّطٌ لِلْبَصْرَةِ وَالْكُوفَةِ وَوَاسِطَ وَالْمَوْصِلِ وَالسَّوَادِ، وَأَنْتَ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَالْجَبَلِ. فَازْدَادَ الْمَنْصُورُ عَزْمًا عَلَى النُّزُولِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ الْمَنْصُورَ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْنِيَ مَدِينَةَ بَغْدَاذَ رَأَى رَاهِبًا فَنَادَاهُ، فَأَجَابَهُ، فَقَالَ: هَلْ تَجِدُونَ فِي كُتُبِكُمْ أَنَّهُ يُبْنَى هَاهُنَا مَدِينَةٌ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ يَبْنِيهَا مِقْلَاصٌ. قَالَ: فَأَنَا كُنْتُ أُدْعَى مِقْلَاصًا فِي حَدَاثَتِي. قَالَ: فَإِذًا أَنْتَ صَاحِبُهَا. فَابْتَدَأَ الْمَنْصُورُ بِعَمَلِهَا سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى الشَّامِ، وَالْجَبَلِ، وَالْكُوفَةِ، وَوَاسِطَ، وَالْبَصْرَةِ، فِي مَعْنَى إِنْفَاذِ الصُّنَّاعِ وَالْفَعَلَةِ، وَأَمَرَ بِاخْتِيَارِ قَوْمٍ مِنْ ذَوِي الْفَضْلِ وَالْعَدَالَةِ وَالْفِقْهِ، وَأَمَرَ بِاخْتِيَارِ قَوْمٍ مِنَ ذَوِي الْأَمَانَةِ وَالْمَعْرِفَةِ بِالْهَنْدَسَةِ. فَكَانَ مِمَّنْ أُحْضِرَ لِذَلِكَ الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَرْطَاةَ، وَأَبُو حَنِيفَةَ، وَأَمَرَ فَخُطَّتِ الْمَدِينَةُ، وَحُفِرَ الْأَسَاسُ، وَضُرِبَ اللَّبِنُ، وَطُبِخَ الْآجُرُّ، فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا ابْتَدَأَ بِهِ مِنْهَا أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِخَطِّهَا بِالرَّمَادِ، فَدَخَلَهَا مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا وَفُصْلَانِهَا وَطَاقَاتِهَا وَرِحَابِهَا وَهِيَ مَخْطُوطَةٌ بِالرَّمَادِ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَنْ يُجْعَلَ عَلَى الرَّمَادِ حَبُّ الْقُطْنِ وَيُشْعَلَ بِالنَّارِ، فَفَعَلُوا، فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَهِيَ تَشْتَعِلُ، فَفَهِمَهَا وَعَرَفَ رَسْمَهَا، وَأَمَرَ أَنْ يُحْفَرَ الْأَسَاسُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الرَّسْمِ. وَوَكَّلَ بِهَا أَرْبَعَةً مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ، كُلُّ قَائِدٍ بِرُبْعٍ، وَوَكَّلَ أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ بِعَدَدِ الْآجُرِّ وَاللَّبِنِ، وَكَانَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ قَدْ أَرَادَ أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ أَنْ يَتَوَلَّى الْقَضَاءَ وَالْمَظَالِمَ، فَلَمْ يُجِبْ، فَحَلَفَ الْمَنْصُورُ أَنَّهُ لَا يُقْلِعُ عَنْهُ أَوْ يَعْمَلُ لَهُ. فَأَجَابَهُ إِلَى أَنْ يَنْظُرَ فِي عِمَارَةِ بَغْدَاذَ وَيَعُدَّ اللَّبِنَ وَالْآجُرَّ بِالْقَصَبِ، وَهُوَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ. وَجَعَلَ الْمَنْصُورُ عَرْضَ أَسَاسِ السُّورِ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ خَمْسِينَ ذِرَاعًا، وَمِنْ أَعْلَاهُ عِشْرِينَ ذِرَاعًا، وَجَعَلَ فِي الْبِنَاءِ الْقَصَبَ وَالْخَشَبَ، وَوَضَعَ بِيَدِهِ أَوَّلَ لَبِنَةٍ، وَقَالَ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالْأَرْضُ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: ابْنُوا عَلَى بَرَكَةِ اللَّهِ. فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ السُّورُ مِقْدَارَ قَامَّةٍ جَاءَ الْخَبَرُ بِظُهُورِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَقَطَعَ الْبِنَاءَ ثُمَّ أَقَامَ بِالْكُوفَةِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ حَرْبِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَخِيهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى بَغْدَاذَ، فَأَتَمَّ بِنَاءَهَا، وَأَقْطَعَ فِيهَا الْقَطَائِعَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ. وَكَانَ الْمَنْصُورُ قَدْ أَعَدَّ جَمِيعَ مَا يُحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ بِنَاءِ الْمَدِينَةِ مِنْ خَشَبٍ وَسَاجٍ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ حِينَ يَشْخَصُ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ عَلَى إِصْلَاحِ مَا أَعَدَّ أَسْلَمَ مَوْلَاهُ، فَبَلَغَهُ أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَدْ هَزَمَ عَسْكَرَ الْمَنْصُورِ، فَأَحْرَقَ مَا كَانَ خَلَّفَهُ عَلَيْهِ الْمَنْصُورُ، فَبَلَغَ الْمَنْصُورَ ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ يَلُومُهُ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَسْلَمُ يُخْبِرُهُ أَنَّهُ خَافَ أَنْ يَظْفَرَ بِهِمْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَيَأْخُذَهُ، فَلَمْ يَقُلْ لَهُ شَيْئًا. وَسَنَذْكُرُ كَيْفِيَّةَ بِنَائِهَا فِي سَنَةِ سِتٍّ وَأَرْبَعِينَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the construction of the city of Baghdād In this year al-Manṣūr began the construction of the city of Baghdād. The reason for that was that he had built al-Hāshimiyyah in the environs of al-Kūfah. When the Rāwandiyyah rose up in it, he disliked its inhabitants for that and also because of the proximity of the people of al-Kūfah, for he did not trust its people with regard to his own safety, and they had corrupted his army. So he went out himself to seek a place for himself and his army to dwell. He descended to Jarjarāyā, then ascended to al-Mawṣil, and proceeded towards the mountain in search of a site to build upon. Some of his troops had fallen behind at al-Madāʾin because of an eye inflammation that had afflicted him. The physician who was treating him asked him about the reason for al-Manṣūr's movement, so he informed him. He said: We find in a book in our possession that a man called Miqlāṣ will build a city between the Tigris and al-Ṣarāh called al-Zawrāʾ. When he lays its foundations and builds part of it, a breach from the Hijaz will come upon him, and he will interrupt its construction and repair that breach. Then a breach from al-Baṣrah greater than it will come upon him, and the two breaches will not last before they close up. Then he will return to its construction and complete it. Then it will be inhabited for a long time, and sovereignty will remain in his descendants. That soldier came to al-Manṣūr's camp while he was in the environs of the mountain and told him the report. So he returned and said: By God, I was called Miqlāṣ when I was a boy, then it left me. He went on until he alighted at the monastery that is opposite his palace known as al-Khuld. He summoned the owner of the monastery, the patrician owner of the mill of the Patrician, the owner of Baghdād, the owner of al-Mukharrim, the owner of Bustān al-Nafs, and the owner of al-ʿAtīqah. He asked them about their locations, and how they were in heat, cold, rains, mud, mosquitoes, and vermin. Each of them told him what he had. Their choice fell upon the owner of Baghdād, so he brought him forward and consulted him. He said: O Commander of the Faithful, you have asked me about these places and what you should choose among them. I think you should alight in four rural districts on the western side: two districts, namely Quṭrubbul and Bādūrayā, and on the eastern side two districts, namely Nahr Būq and Kalwādhā. Thus you will be among palm trees and near water. If one district becomes barren and its cultivation is delayed, there will be cultivation in the other district. And you, O Commander of the Faithful, will be on al-Ṣarāh. Provisions will come to you in ships from Syria and al-Raqqah, and from the west in the parties of Egypt. Provisions will come to you from China, India, al-Baṣrah, Wāsiṭ, Diyār Bakr, Byzantium, al-Mawṣil, and elsewhere on the Tigris. Provisions will come to you from Armenia and what is connected to it via Tāmarā until it connects with the Zāb. Thus you are between rivers. Your enemy cannot reach you except over a bridge or an arched bridge. If you cut the bridge and destroy the arched bridge, he cannot reach you. The Tigris, the Euphrates, and al-Ṣarāh are the moats of this city. You are in the middle of al-Baṣrah, al-Kūfah, Wāsiṭ, al-Mawṣil, and the Sawād. You are near the land, the sea, and the mountain. So al-Manṣūr's resolve to alight in that place increased. It is also said: When al-Manṣūr wanted to build the city of Baghdād, he saw a monk and called out to him. The monk answered him. He said: Do you find in your books that a city will be built here? He said: Yes, Miqlāṣ will build it. He said: I was called Miqlāṣ in my youth. He said: Then you are its builder. So al-Manṣūr began its construction in the year forty-five. He wrote to Syria, the mountain, al-Kūfah, Wāsiṭ, and al-Baṣrah regarding the sending of craftsmen and laborers. He ordered the selection of a group of people of excellence, justice, and jurisprudence. He ordered the selection of a group of people of trustworthiness and knowledge of engineering. Among those brought for that were al-Ḥajjāj b. Arṭāh and Abū Ḥanīfah. He gave orders, and the city was marked out, the foundation was dug, bricks were struck, and baked bricks were fired. The first thing he began with was that he ordered it to be traced with ashes. He entered it through its gates, its side doors, its arches, and its open squares while it was traced in ashes. Then he ordered that cotton seeds be placed over the ashes and set on fire. They did so. He looked at it while it was burning, understood it, and recognized its plan. He ordered that the foundation be dug according to that plan. He assigned four commanders to it, each commander over one quarter. He assigned Abū Ḥanīfah to count the baked bricks and mud bricks. Before that, he had wanted Abū Ḥanīfah to take charge of the judiciary and the redress of grievances, but he had not agreed. Al-Manṣūr swore that he would not leave him alone unless he worked for him. So he agreed to supervise the construction of Baghdād and to count the mud bricks and baked bricks by the reed, and he was the first to do that. Al-Manṣūr made the width of the wall's foundation at its base fifty cubits, and at its top twenty cubits. He placed reeds and wood in the construction. He laid the first brick with his own hand and said: In the name of God, and praise be to God, and the earth belongs to God; He gives it as inheritance to whomever He wills of His servants, and the outcome is for the righteous. Then he said: Build with God's blessing. When the wall reached the height of a man's stature, the news came of the appearance of Muḥammad b. ʿAbd Allāh. So he stopped the construction. He stayed in al-Kūfah until he was done with the war against Muḥammad and his brother Ibrāhīm. Then he returned to Baghdād and completed its construction, and he allotted fiefs in it to his companions. Al-Manṣūr had prepared everything needed for the construction of the city, such as wood, teak, and other things. When he departed to al-Kūfah, he left his client Aslam in charge of preparing what he had arranged. It reached Aslam that Ibrāhīm had defeated al-Manṣūr's army, so he burned what al-Manṣūr had left with him. That reached al-Manṣūr, and he wrote to him blaming him. Aslam wrote back to him informing him that he feared Ibrāhīm would seize it if he prevailed over them, so he did not say anything to him. We shall mention the manner of its construction in the year forty-six, God willing.
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